Mayor de Blasio unveils health care program for all NYC residents

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a plan to give all New Yorkers health care, regardless of their ability to pay or immigration status.

The mayor made the surprise announcement Tuesday during a news conference at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln.

The mayor says this plan will cost $100 million per year and will serve the 600,000 New Yorkers without insurance by strengthening New York City's health insurance option, Metroplus, and through the new program called NYC Care.

Primary care, mental health and substance abuse services will be affordable on a sliding scale.

Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis says she does not agree with this plan.

"Our citizens have a hard enough time covering their own health care costs and now Mayor de Blasio also wants them to pay for the health care of 300,000 citizens of other countries,” said Malliotakis. “The mayor must stop abusing the middle class and treating us like his personal ATM.”

NYC Care will launch this summer and will roll out geographically starting in the Bronx.